More about Njord
Maximal efficiency (most miles per spaghetti serving) is at just below 5 knots (9 km/t), due to a long waterline and a relatively high PC (0,56). Njord is therefore primarily aimed at strong paddlers with good technique, but with a narrow waterline beam and a very small wet surface it is easily driven at lower speeds as well.
Directional stability is on the low side to enhance maneuverability in a long kayak, and an adjustable skeg is recommended for touring. Leaned turning works fine and feels safe due to a very high secondary stability. Njord is easily handled – tight turns, sideslips, high brace stops etc – can be spectacular with a technically good paddler. The high secondary stability makes balance braces, even without a paddle, very easy.
The volume is relatively small, and a little packing discipline and ingenuity comes in handy for longer tours. The experienced backpacker will find room for a week's supply – but for a paddler used to wide and high commercial kayaks, it might be a challenging proposition.
The Njord will initially feel a bit tippy for the novice. The initial stability is relatively low, while the secondary stability is very high, giving a very soft and dry ride. For the experienced paddler, Njord feels safe and reliable with easy, predictable movements in challenging conditions.
Njord is based upon eastern Greenland designs and thus has a low deck – some 2 inches lower than the typical commercial kayak (but an inch higher than the original Greenland 19th century kayak). It takes a little getting used to a new seating position, but after a couple of hours, the kayak feels like a well-fitting shoe – good contact without pressure anywhere. The comfort of a small cockpit may come as a surprise for paddlers used to large-volume kayaks, where one has to be tightly locked in between knee pads, hip pads, footrest, and a backband to gain control of the craft. The deck behind the cockpit is low enough to reach with the back and head during a layback roll.
The Njord can be built with an ocean-size cockpit or with a large keyhole cockpit. Bulkheads and hatches – two large hatches and a small day hatch - are indicated on the plans, but Njord can be built Greenland-style without them. The bulkheads are placed so that the volume in the cockpit is minimized, and the aft one can be integrated with the seat and rim.
The waterline is long and extended aft, making Njord usable without a skeg or rudder, keeping weight and mechanical complication down. But the downside is loss of speed in a side wind, and for serious touring, an adjustable skeg is recommended.
The hull form follows the eastern Greenland designs, with hard chines – but the chines are softened towards the stems, keeping noice and splash down in a chop. The deadrise is slightly steeper than the Greenland originals, which, together with a pronounced rocker, gives a good balance between directional stability and maneuverability. The rocker furthermore places the paddler a little deeper in the water, increasing stability and lowering the sheer, and thus making the paddling movements more comfortable.
Njord is also slightly more full-ended than the original – partly to increase the PC and thus the potential top speed and partly to increase the buoyancy without the need for high and wind-atching stems. The overhangs are shortened to increase the waterline length. The decks are arched to provide more room for gear – except for a flat surface just behind the cockpit (where a paddle can be held as support).
Njord Expedition
Over the years. I have had more than a few requests for a kayak behaving like Njord but with a slightly increased load capacity and speed potential. Those asking were often those contemplating Havspaddlarnas Blå Band (the Swedish Sea Kayakers Blue Ribbon – a paddling around the Swedish coast from the Norwegian-Swedish border in the west to the Finnish-Swedish border in the east, without other breaks than for night camping; approx 2100-2600 km depending on hugging the coastline or going straight between promontories).
Njord Expedition is a slightly modified Njord aimed at increasing the potential daily runs by slightly increased cruising speed and load capacity (so the supplies may take you yet a day) – but without losing the original’s ability to handle hard weather without losing speed or tiring the paddler.
To achieve this, I have increased the LOA (572 cm instead of 559), and redrawn the stem for a longer waterline. This means a higher hull speed, but also that it takes a stronger paddler to keep the efficient speed over time. The length also means slightly less manoeuvrability, but there is a margin for this since the original is unusually easily turned compared to other sea kayaks of similar lengths.
I have also lifted the deck a couple of centimetres to (together with the LOA) increase the volume under the deck for legs and feet, but primarily for supplies. Those who, like me, prefer the low deck of the original, have to accept a very relevant adjustment for the purpose, increasing the load capacity from 130 to 145 kg and the volume from 304 to 335 litres. It might seem a rather moderate improvement, but a more drastic increase would have detrimental effects on both speed and seaworthiness – it is a delicate balance.
The width is the same since it is important for the smooth movement in waves, for comfortable and efficient paddle motoric, and the ability to keep going long distances. A wider kayak would have more initial stability, which is not what you need on a kayak for challenging conditions. Initial stability is the kayak’s disposition to orient itself parallel the water surface – nice when the surface is horizontal, but very tiring when it is not, and, secondly, you never capsize from an upright position, but when your kayak leans so much that the center of gravity falls outside the center of floatation, which is where the secondary stability, the righting moment, counts). Thus, more initial stability would give waves more impact on the kayak's movements, causing more effort to keep the body upright and leading to a more tiring paddling.
Efficiency on long-distance paddling starts on land – starting early, taking short breaks, and keeping going a bit farther. The kayak contributes with slightly higher mean speed, but more importantly, with a seaworthiness that makes it possible to be calm and efficient even in adverse conditions and spend more time in the cockpit.
Njord Expedition is a special kayak for a select group of dedicated long-distance paddlers. The plans are normally not in stock, so it takes a couple of days for me to ship them. But are you interested in long-distance paddling it is worth it. The cost is the same as for the original Njord. Note “Expedition” in the info box when ordering
